1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the detection of contact or binding of chemical species. More specifically, the invention relates to a system and method for contacting an oligonucleotide probe with an oligonucleotide target and for detecting such contact.
2. Description of Related Art
Presently, DNA micro-arrays or DNA (gene) chips are used for a wide range of applications such as gene discovery, disease diagnosis, drug discovery (pharmacogenomics) and toxicological research (toxicogenomics). Typically, an array of immobilized chemical compounds or probes are contacted with a target of interest to identify those compounds in the array that bind to the target, thereby making identification of the target possible.
Existing methods for manufacturing these micro-arrays generally include: 1) in-situ methods where multiple compounds are synthesized directly onto a substrate to form a high density micro-array or 2) deposition methods in which pre-synthesized compounds are covalently attached to the surface of the substrate at the appropriate spatial addresses by sophisticated robot dispensing devices. However, the in-situ method typically requires specialized reagents and complex masking strategies, and the deposition method typically requires complex robotic delivery of precise quantities of reagents.
Accordingly, existing methods for manufacturing micro-arrays are complex and expensive. As a result, there is a need for a simple and cost-effective high-throughput system and method for detecting the binding of chemical species.